A Dream or A Reality
by AdventureWriter28
Summary: Layton finds himself in a restaurant and with a very much alive and breathing Claire, but is it a dream or a reality?


**Fanfic: A Dream or A Reality**

* * *

**(Hershel Layton's Point Of View)**

It wasn't that noisy, it wasn't quiet also. It was just simply... in between the two—it was something to be expected when you're in a restaurant. Though, something wasn't right... but, that feeling was pushed away with my current situation.

"Claire..." I slowly said and stared at her face— it was a lovely face, her hair, her smile, her outfit... it was all lovely.

"Hershel...?" Claire said, trying to see if I was thinking straight, which I was actually stuck at my own little world... that only contained her. I heard her perfectly, and... Somehow, this felt like all a dream, something was bugging me... but seeing her, made me realize... I loved her so much, even though she already knows how much I love her... there was something deep inside me... telling me to say 'I love you' again.

"It's... It's nothing Claire... It's just that I love you..." I said shyly, I was a gentleman, yet, a shy gentleman when I was with her. I fumbled my fingers while I was blushing. It would be rare for a gentleman to be this... insecure, but with her, I was different.

"Oh Hershel... I know that you love me." Claire said as she took my hand. A gentleman should have been the one to reach for a ladies hand... but Claire instead was the one who took my hand. I blushed madly even more.

But... some part of me felt that I needed to hold onto Claire's hand... tighter... and closer, "Claire... I just have this feeling... that I need to say 'I love you' over and over again..."

"Hershel, are you worried about something?" Claire asked, I'm guessing that my face showed a lot of anxiety and worry... because that was what I was feeling. I don't know why...

I don't know why... but I needed to hold her hand, tell her I love her... and to kiss her...

But the thought of kissing her made my face blush even more... It was true that Claire and I were dating, but I was still... uncomfortable...

"Hershel..." Claire said with a heavy sigh, and she started to let go of my hand... and that's when my hands trembled. My hand wasn't holding her anymore, nor was she holding me. She stood up suddenly for no reason.

And my inner voice finally came out.

"CLAIRE WAIT!" I shouted, it was obvious that everyone in the restaurant was looking at us. My head felt a short headache— it felt like I shouted like this before... But I shook my head of the thought, what I was about to do was more important.

I took Claire's hand slowly, and I looked at her with my eyes.

And the thing that scared me was...

Her eyes... didn't have any 'light' at all... it was like... the life out of her was drained. "Hershel... It's too late..." She said slowly and everything around us disappeared, I didn't know what was happening— my headache started to worsen, but I shook of the pain of it, I tightened my grasp of her hand.

I caressed her face; it was cold... like it was dead. My headache started to worsen even more... like I had to do something. "Claire... your face, it's cold."

"Remember our plans for the future...? Too bad... that we won't be able to fulfil it..." Claire said, this time, tears were falling of her face—but the strange this was that the tears... immediately evaporated.

Even though there was no scientific explanation of what was happening around us, there was one thing on my mind... kiss her... embrace her... and above all else... I had to show her how much I loved her.

And that's when it hit me...

I remembered what happened exactly, Claire died. She disappeared. I did the same thing right now, all of the heavy headaches I had... this was IT. I didn't know what was happening, but maybe... this was a onetime event that defies all logic to bring her back.

"I don't want to say goodbye again! I CAN'T! I WON'T!" I repeated—I knew this was the exact same words I said to her when I didn't want her to disappear, and the reason why I said this again was because I still had the same resolution.

I still wanted her back.

I took the courage... of doing the thing I was scared of doing to the one I loved— the simple yet meaningful kiss. I was scared... because... I was scared of losing her again, but... I was determined this time.

I released my hand from her hand, and instead... I embraced her, that's when I did it. My face was in front of hers, Claire's face was... scared and white— like it needed something to warm it, something to ensure that she was safe. And that's what I did, my lips... slowly crept onto her face and it was now in front of her lips. I took it— a slow kiss that made me feel satisfied and happy, that somehow... I made her safe and secure, and that I showed her how much I loved her.

I released myself and saw that... Her face lightened up, it started to brighten up... And she especially gave me...

A smile— it was warm, happy and kind.

"Hershel... I won't say goodbye." Claire said as her hands suddenly went up to where my heart was located. "I'll always be here... in your heart."

And with that, she was the one who kissed me.

It was a moment... of love— pure happiness, bliss and contentment, that she would always be with me.

But not all good things last forever.

I closed my eyes after the kiss... and after I opened them... it was gone— all of it was gone, I woke up to find myself staring at the brown ceilings and walls of my apartment, there was a single light emitted by the bulb at the ceiling, and when I stood up— I found myself to be at my seat, with a lamp on my desk, and my hat near the lamp.

I started to stare silently at the open window at my apartment— staring outside, there was some lights opened from other houses, I soon realized it was evening. Though, the only thing in my mind was... the thing that happened... I tried to put the pieces of puzzles in my mind to only realize that...

...

...

...

A dagger started pushing through my heart— it was hurting me emotionally, it was just all...

...

...

...

It was just... simply all...

...

...

...

A dream...

...

...

...

All that I thought that was real...

...

...

...

Wasn't real at all... Claire never came back...

...

...

...

She would never come back... It was true that she would be in my heart...

...

...

...

But in the end... it was just...

...

...

...

A bitter sweet dream...

...

...

...

I turned around and took my hat, it was the hat that Claire gave me back then, it was one of the few things I had to remind me of her. Frustration took over me, and I felt that I needed to throw the hat outside... until... I heard a soft voice...

...

...

...

"_Hershel...?"_

...

...

...

It felt so... surreal, could this voice be coming from my head or was it simply true? Was there someone calling my name? And if someone was calling my name... could it be her...?

...

...

...

"_Hershel...?"_

...

...

...

Something started to run around my head even more, the real TWO questions was...

...

...

...

The memory earlier ago...

...

...

...

Was it a dream or a reality?

...

...

...

"_Hershel...?"_

...

...

...

And the second question was...

...

...

...

Is this current event a dream or a reality also?

* * *

**End of Fanfic**

**Author's Note:** _It's purposely a cliffhanger of whether or not it's a dream or a reality that Claire is alive or not in this one chapter fanfic... You're free to guess XD _

_So ummm... Please **review and tell me what you thought of the story!** And if you liked the story, **add** it to your **favourites**? (PLEASE! ***PUPPY DOG EYES***)_


End file.
